Cosmetic

A cosmetic is a type of product designed to enhance, protect, or preserve a person’s appearance. Most cosmetics, sometimes referred to as makeup, are usually applied to a person’s face; however, some cosmetics, such as nail polish and body lotions, are used on other areas of the body. Early cosmetics were made from animal products, plants, and metals, but many modern cosmetics are made from synthetic ingredients.

Types of Cosmetics

Modern cosmetics include a wide array of products, many of which are designed to enhance a person’s features. Some of the most popular cosmetic enhancers include foundation, lipstick, nail polish, blush, eyeshadow, mascara, and eyeliner. These products are available in many colors and finishes, such as matte or shimmer, depending on the purpose of the product or the desired style.

Other cosmetic products protect and cleanse the skin or help correct specific issues, such as acne, wrinkles, or dry skin. These cosmetics include facial scrubs, cleansers, and masks; body lotions; anti-aging face creams; moisturizers; and sunscreens. Some definitions of cosmetics include hair care and styling products, such as hair dye, hairspray, and hair conditioner. Hair removal products, colognes, aftershaves, and perfumes are sometimes considered cosmetics as well.

History of Cosmetics

Since ancient times, men and women have used cosmetics for various purposes. Many early forms of cosmetics were employed in religious or cultural ceremonies. The use of makeup in ancient times often signified a person’s class or rank in society.

The ancient Egyptians used cosmetics to protect or enhance their appearance. Many Egyptians famously used kohl as eyeliner. While the black kohl served to emphasize the eyes, the dark pigment also protected the wearer’s vision from the harmful glare of the sun. Egyptians also used plant dye to color their hair and powders and paints to tint their skin.

The Chinese were also early adopters of cosmetics. Around 3000 BCE, the Chinese painted their nails with a type of nail polish made from wax or gelatin. These polishes were usually black, red, or metallic. Like the Egyptians, the Chinese used kohl to enhance their eyes.

Wealthy men and women in ancient Rome used makeup, but the same was not true in ancient Greece. While the women of ancient Greece would dye their hair and use facial treatments to enhance their skin, they did not use many other forms of makeup. Greek men, however, did wear other types of cosmetics.

In the early centuries of the Common Era, cosmetics were used in certain parts of Europe. Germanic women colored their lips with orange rouge, while women in Italy preferred red lips and cheeks. Noblewomen in some countries would pluck the hair from their foreheads and temples and then use dyes to paint on veins. Women did this to highlight the translucency of the skin, which was considered a sign of youthfulness at the time.

The look of translucency continued into the Elizabethan era, when many women wore white face powder along with lip and cheek colors. Both English men and women wore certain forms of makeup, including foundation and lip stains, during the 1660s. Cosmetics were particularly popular in France during the 1700s. In the 1780s, merchants sold nearly two million pots of rouge to French women every year.

Although some merchants sold cosmetics, many women made their own cosmetic preparations at home. During the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries, women bought books and magazines that described cosmetic preparations for everything from reducing the appearance of blemishes and freckles to treatments that whitened the teeth or softened the skin. Many women also referred to family cosmetic "recipes" that were passed down through the generations.

In the twentieth century, the rise of photography and feature films made makeup more visible to the general public. Many women in the United States and Europe wanted to emulate the looks of the famous movie stars they saw in magazines and films. During the early part of the century, female entrepreneurs in the United States established their own cosmetics companies. Madam C. J. Walker started a cosmetics company geared toward African American customers in 1906, and Josephine Esther Mentzer Lauder, better known as Estée Lauder, started her own cosmetics business during the 1930s. Endeavors such as these led to the modern cosmetics industry. By 2010, the industry had achieved nearly $330 billion in consumer sales worldwide.

Over the next decade, cosmetic industry profits skyrocketed even further, largely due to the rise of social media platforms such as TikTok and YouTube, on which beauty influencers with huge followings often promoted cosmetic products. This promotion allowed cosmetic brands to reach a global audience, increasing sales dramatically. Likewise, consumers of makeup created their own content, sharing their reviews of products and thus influencing potential buyers. By 2023, the industry had grown to $446 billion in global retail sales.

Makeup and Morality

Since ancient times, the use of cosmetics has been largely tied to the ideas of morality and purity, particularly regarding the use of makeup among women. The ideas are often associated with specific religious or cultural beliefs.

In ancient Greece, people frowned upon women wearing makeup, as they believed that only prostitutes wore these cosmetics. The idea of makeup being "sinful" or masking a person’s true appearance continued into the Middle Ages, when wearing makeup was considered taboo in places like Britain. However, women in other European countries, such as Italy, faced fewer social restrictions when it came to wearing cosmetics.

In Britain during the Victorian era, the use of makeup was still considered immoral. To the Victorians, the only women who wore makeup were actresses or seductresses, and none of these women fit the Victorian ideal of the pure and respectable female. The debate over the use of makeup among women continued into the twentieth century. It was not until midway through the 1900s that most people considered makeup use acceptable. Still, there was a backlash against makeup use once again during the 1960s and 1970s. Many feminists involved in the women’s rights movement objected to the use of makeup because they believed that it oppressed women by holding them to certain societal standards of beauty.

Although makeup is widely used during the twenty-first century, debates about whether makeup promotes unrealistic beauty ideals and arguments over who should wear makeup continue. Such debates became even more prominent as social media platforms became ubiquitous. Sites like TikTok and Instagram popularized filters that drastically altered appearances, creating even more idealized and unattainable versions of beauty. Likewise, beauty influencers often set trends that emphasized perfection and the use of makeup to achieve such looks. Those trends increased pressure to conform to impossible standards, especially among teenage girls. Studies showed exposure to idealized images on social media increased rates of anxiety and depression.

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